What Should be in a Pitch Deck for Film?

Producing a film is hard work. The industry is fast paced, over-saturated, and expensive. Small mistakes can cost big, particular when it comes to your pitch. Creating a pitch deck for you film that’s going to land you a distribution deal is all about building up excitement and anticipation among your audience of  investors, financiers, or whomever you’re pitching your project to. A lot of working parts are involved, but what should be in a pitch deck for film and what’s better left for another time?

Deciding what should be in a pitch deck for film takes a little bit of planning and consideration as to what’s most important for your target audience to know.

Are you pitching to a financier? If so you’re going to want to include key details on production design and finances, particularly any important costs regarding equipment or composition.

Are you pitching to an investor? If so you’re going to want to include key details on potential audience data and comparable films complete with budget and ROI details to prove your concept.

While it’s important to consider who you’re pitching the film to, there are some key components of pretty much any pitch deck that should definitely be included. Let’s take a look at those now.

A Professional Cover 

Every great pitch deck needs to have an attractive front cover that is going to show your audience that you care about this project as much as you want them to!

If you’re not an artist, that’s okay – hire someone that is!

The artwork displayed on the front should use a color palette and overall tone that is directly connected to the film.

The artwork should tell the viewer what the film is about and it must attract their attention to the point in which they genuinely want to know what comes next in your pitch.

Don’t skimp here!

This is likely to be part of your title page.

Just like the opening scene of your film, the opening artwork of your pitch deck is the first impression you make in front of your audience.

This is your chance to compel them to think further. 

Logline, Synopsis & Theme

Next, you’re going to include the logline.

This is your elevator pitch.

You’ve got literally just a few words so make it count.

The logline is just words, no images, but that doesn’t mean it’s not covering a lot of bases!

This is what hooks your reader into diving further into your pitch.

Consider these amazing loglines from past films:

• The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. (The Godfather)
• Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. (The Shawshank Redemption)
• A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. (The Matrix)

As you can see, the logline represents very short pitch that grasps the reader’s attention and tells them what to expect from the film. 

It’s also important to include a synopsis.

The synopsis represents a detailed version of your protagonists journey.

Your synopsis is going to be about 300 words describing who your protagonist is, what they’re trying to do, what their challenge is and how they’re trying to overcome the particular challenge and the motivation behind their journey. 

Visually these pages of your pitch deck should be attractive and, although there will be text, the reader should never feel like they’re being overwhelmed with text.

The theme elements of your film should begin to come into play at this point, too.

Director’s & Producer’s Statements

Your chance to share compelling statements from key people that will be involved in the production of your film is important.

As you’re focusing on what should be in a pitch deck for film, make sure that you are including a very compelling statement from the director and that you’ve shared a headshot of the director in the deck.

Including the director’s bio here can build credibility, particularly if your director is someone that has already made a name for themselves in the industry.

The same goes for the producer.

You should have a statement from the producer as well as their bio and headshot included.

Make sure to list details regarding the producer’s past education, accolades, and experience.

Give any pertinent details that would guide your audience toward feeling trustworthy of the value that your production team can provide.

Comparable Films 

Every great pitch deck is going to include comparable films.

These are films that have similar themes or can otherwise be considered close in some capacity to your film.

Think about plot, audience, and key details regarding the films and their success.

You want to share films that were successful and have similar scale, scope, and subject in order to prove your concept.

Include with the comparable films section an analysis of the theme of each film.

Make sure that you’re listing pertinent details regarding their release dates, where they were released (domestic or international), and their box office figures.

Make sure to include references to any sources you include.

Screenwriter Statements

As you’re navigating the process of producing your pitch deck and trying to figure out what should be in a pitch deck for film, you should be thinking about the screenwriter in addition to everything or everyone else that you include.

Include education, past screenwriting, project accolades or notable past projects and a list of any awards that the screenwriter has won in the past in this area of your pitch.

Don’t just include this or other sections such as the producer section or the director section just because you have to – it shouldn’t be boring or dragging on.

This information should engage the reader and sell your film without being over the top.

It’s not an ego pitch, it’s just an opportunity to show the talent behind the film.

Production Design Details

This should include things like schedules or important dates surrounding your production as well as location information.

This doesn’t have to include all of the details about your production, but it should sum up the upcoming work that will be involved in the film and highlight any creative elements or needs.

Consider including things like information about how long you expect production to take, how many cast members you’ll have, how many crew will be involved, and how many filming locations will be required.

These and other details like this will help your intended audience to determine key information regarding expectations as far as budget, financing, and distribution.

Figuring out what should be in a pitch deck for film is really a matter of carefully planning out all of the information that you have access to and how to best deliver pertinent details to the intended audience without losing their attention.

This is your chance to make your film shine – keep it detailed, to the point, thematic & visually balanced as you tell your story and engage your audience like never before!